The present invention is directed to the field of home appliances. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a support stand for conventional residential water heaters.
Conventional residential water heaters are typically installed with integral legs, no more than a couple of inches in length, to sit directly on a concrete floor, usually in a garage or basement. This poses a potential safety hazard and, in some jurisdictions, is strictly forbidden by code. One of the problems is that should a flammable liquid be spilled in the vicinity, the pilot light or electrical ignition spark can ignite the liquid causing a fire and/or possible explosion. Further, should the basement or garage be subject to flooding, the pilot light is low enough that several inches of water can extinguish the flame. If the gas valve is working properly, this poses no more than an aggravation. Should, however, the valve malfunction, the accumulation of gas in the inclosed space or, wafting throughout the home, poses an additional health and safety hazard.
An additional difficulty associated with floor mounting is that most, if not all, manufacturers recommend periodic draining of the tank to remove mineral deposits and extend the life of the water heater. The problem with the floor mounting is that drainage is inconvenient and messy, in that there is insufficient clearance to employ a bucket in the procedure and, consequently, most home owners opt not to perform this routine maintenance. As a result, the build up of residue reduces the capacity of the tank and accelerates corrosion of the interior. The full magnitude of the problem generally goes unappreciated until the unit fails.
It is the design of the present invention to provide a suitable support stand for a conventional water heater which facilitates the drainage procedure while eliminating the hazards associated with the conventional floor mount technique. The water heater support of the present invention comprises a) a plurality of component elements adapted to form a stand for a conventional water heater, each element being formed of a durable plastic material; b) means to fasten the plurality of component elements into a unit to approximate a cylinder, the unit having a rib portion on an upper surface to engage around an outside of a base of the conventional water heater. The support is made up of a group of elements positionable adjacent one another, the group preferably being four in number, and each member of the group having a first element forming a portion of the base and a second element stacked upon the base element to provide a support of the desired height. The means to fasten the plurality of components comprises two bands which engage diagonally opposite pairs of the elements to hold each opposed pair in a precise relative position vis a vis its correspondingly paired element. An upper corner of each of the four elements has a recess having a first shape and an end portion of each of the bands has a complementary shape which is bolted into the recess.
Each element of said first set of elements forming the base a) is pie-shaped, b) is hollow and, c) has a peripheral lip extending substantially around an upper edge thereof. Each element of said second set of elements which stack upon the base elements a) is pie-shaped, b) is hollow and, c) has a curved rib portion extending along at least a portion of an upper surface of its outer rounded face. An elongated trough configured to sit beneath the water heater between said plurality of component elements is provided to facilitate draining of the water heater.
Various other features, advantages, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following detailed description.